What a devilish manipulation. At the eve of what could have been the happiest day of his life, an APC Chairmanship aspirant lost his life a rather "what should be called" manipulation of the evil ones.

The tragedy struck on the eve of local government council election in Lagos State as a PSP truck crushed a chairmanship aspirant of the Ikotun/Igando Local Council Development Area to death.

The deceased, Shakiru Balogun, aka SAB, was a former Chairman, National Union of Local Government Employees of the LCDA and a member of the All Progressives Congress. He couldn’t clinch the party’s ticket at the primaries.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the aspirant was going to the council secretariat around 12pm on Friday when the driver of the PSP truck lost control of the truck and rammed it into Balogun’s Toyota 4runner at Okofili Bus Stop, LASU-Isheri Road.

An eyewitness, Fadeyi Daisi, said 52-year-old Balogun died on the spot.

He added, “The PSP driver fled the scene, but I don’t know if he was later arrested by the police. It was very tragic. The door of the sport utility vehicle was cut with a saw before emergency officials could extricate his body.”

A resident of Abu Taiwo Street, Afolabi Bus Stop, Akesan, where Balogun lived, Joshua Ogundipe, said the incident had thrown the community into mourning.

Ogundipe added, “He accepted defeat at the primaries in good faith. He was going to the office when the incident happened. He is survived by two wives and four children. He had been buried according to Islamic rite.”

A sympathiser, Oyejobi Olakunle, described SAB’s death as a colossal loss. “What a great loss to our entire generation. Your indelible mark lives on. #SobbingMode# WhatAgreatLoss,” Olakunle wrote on Facebook.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole could not be reached for comments.